


Showdown

by Maverick



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:48:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6081672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maverick/pseuds/Maverick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post 3.04. In which Jude is squirrely, Zero's bemused, and Lucas gets what he deserves (absolutely nothing)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Showdown

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Pollitt for beta.

Jude was looking at his phone like it was a snake ready to bite. He only ever looked that way when dealing with Oscar or some other serious bullshit. Either or, that was never a good sign. “Spill it,” Zero said over the last bite of his cereal.

Jude looked up from his phone, like he hadn’t realized that Zero had even joined him on the couch. “Lucas wants to talk.”

Zero snorted and set his empty cereal bowl on the coffee table. Normally, that would earn him at least a glare from Jude, but obviously the man had more pressing matters on his mind. “I’m sure he does.”

Jude turned to the side so he was facing Zero and started to reach out to touch him but stopped just short, like he wasn’t sure that he should. “You’re okay with me talking with him?”

Fuck that. Zero was done keeping his hands off Jude, especially when they were alone. He reached over and slid his hand around Jude’s neck, his thumb sweeping across his nape as he looked into Jude’s eyes. “Should I not be?”

“No. I just,” Jude leaned back into Zero’s touch and closed his eyes.

Sometimes Jude required a little shock to the system. “You planning on fucking him again?”

Jude’s eyes popped open and he looked at Zero like he’d grown an extra head. “What? No. How could you think I...”

Zero leaned forward and put his hands on Jude’s shoulders and massaged gently. “I didn’t.” He ducked in and kissed him softly on the mouth before quickly pulling away. “I don’t. You just seem more squirrely than normal. I’m just wondering why.”

Now Jude just looked indignant. That Zero could work with. “Squirrely?”

Zero smiled. “Unpredictable and jumpy.”

“I know what it means, it’s just not very flattering.”

Zero leaned close and ran his tongue across the shell of Jude’s ear. He spoke in a rough whisper. “Well, I apparently find high-strung and uncompromising pretty damn hot, so that’s about as close to flattering as you’re going to get. Why are you so agitated about talking to Lucas.”

A blush spread up Jude’s neck to his face. He met Zero’s eyes. “I’ve never been in this position before.”

Things still weren’t clear to Zero. “What position? Two guys vying for your attention?”

It was Jude’s turn to snort. “We both know that’s not true.” He leaned in with no hesitation this time and kissed Zero with intent. “My one guy is plenty, thanks.” He stopped again and gave Zero a shy smile. “It’s just, I know I should be pissed off at him. Even though you won’t tell me what he said, I know he was never going to meet me. That I was a --what’s that expression of yours –‘a one and done’ but I kind of want to thank him.”

“Thank him?” What the hell?

“Yeah. Because whatever he said pushed you to do what you did and I will never be sorry for that.”

Oh, Zero could work with that, too. “Try and remember that the next time I screw up.”

“I promise I will. I just don’t understand why he wants to see me.”

“Possibly because I fired him?” Zero probably should have led with that.

Jude’s eyes got big again. “You fired him? When?” And then they narrowed on Zero with a laser focus. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

Zero was pretty sure his dick wasn’t supposed to take interest every time Jude glared at him, but man it did. He licked his lips. “When you were in the shower. And I planned on telling you, but then you were all squirrely, so finding out what that was about seemed more important at the time.”

Jude’s expression turned fond, which also went straight to Zero’s dick. “You ever going to tell me what he said?”

Zero shook his head and cupped Jude’s jaw in his hands. “Nope, because it doesn’t matter.” He brushed his lips against Jude’s. He pulled back and continued, “And that wasn’t the only reason. He will always choose Derek over me and I need an agent who puts my interests first.” The ‘especially now’ remained unsaid.

“You’ll let me help you pick someone new?”

Zero still didn’t know what to do with such sincerity and love from Jude. It might take a while, but he was looking forward to being on the receiving end of that for a long time to come. Not that that was going to change his responses though, “Let you help? Jude, have no fear, you’ll be doing all the heavy lifting on that one.”

“Really?”

“Your opinion is the only one I trust. And let’s face it, you were the only agent that I’ve dealt with that I didn’t want to punch in the face.”

Jude laughed. “See, now, I’m flattered.”

Zero smiled at Jude. “You should be. And you know just because Lucas wants to talk to you doesn’t mean you have to talk to him.”

Jude seemed to consider it. “Won’t that make me a coward?”

Zero shook his head. “No, just too busy to fool with him while you’re finding me an agent I can work with on top of all your EVP duties, boss man.”

“You really won’t think less of me, if I ignore him?” Jude looked like he was studying Zero’s face for his answer more than listening to his response.

Zero looked right at Jude and was totally honest. “I’d prefer if neither of us ever talked to that asshole ever again.

“That sounds like a plan.” Jude leaned in and kissed him. “Now go put your damn bowl in the dishwasher then meet me in the bedroom. I feel the need to show you how hot I find your forms of flattery. ”

Laughing and with a salute, Zero picked up his bowl and did what was asked.

~*~*~*~*~

It was three days later before the inevitable happened. Since he’d lost Zero as a client, Lucas had spent the week trying to lock down Derek, who actually wasn’t too keen on keeping him around either. Jude would have to ask Zero about that when he got home. He’d been able to avoid Lucas all day, but his luck ran out as he was walking out with Lionel.

“Jude. Long time, no see,” Lucas said with such false sincerity that Jude had no idea how he’d missed it before.

“You want me to stay?” Lionel asked, clearly willing to stomp her stiletto heels into any part of Lucas’s anatomy that Jude requested.

Jude kissed her cheek. “No, I’m good.”

“I’ll see you and Zero in the morning then. Bring champagne for mimosas. We’ve got some serious celebrating to do.”

Jude was pretty sure that Lionel’s words were for Lucas’s benefit, but he’d make sure and bring it anyway. He put a reminder in his phone as he watched Lionel walk away. He finally looked up at Lucas.

“You’re a hard man to get in touch with. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were avoiding me.”

Jude had to wonder why he’d been so worried about talking to him. He felt nothing for Lucas. Well, there was no reason not to be honest. “I was. Avoiding you. I just couldn’t see a reason for us to talk. And I still don’t.”

Lucas smiled and took a step toward Jude. “Wow, that’s quite a different tune from you pleading with me to meet you courtside.”

Jude crossed his arms against his chest and held his ground. “A lot has changed since then.”

“So Zero was your mystery man. Can’t say I would have pegged him as playing for our team.”

The look on Lucas’s face and his tone of voice made Jude want to punch him in his perfect teeth. He couldn’t wait until he got home and could share that with Zero. Until then though, “From what I hear, he certainly isn’t playing for yours.”

Lucas gave him another insincere smile. It was clear that he really didn’t understand that Jude no longer cared what he had to say. “So you did have something to do with that.”

Jude shook his head and relaxed his posture. He had nothing to fear from this asshole. He couldn’t hurt him or Zero. “Actually, I didn’t. Zero let me know after he’d already given you the boot.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Keeping secrets already. That doesn’t bode well for the long term, now does it?”

“No secrets,” Jude smiled. Lucas would never understand and Jude was actually happy about that. There were parts of his relationship with Zero that he would happily keep secret. “Zero’s just damn smart and can make up his own mind about who he wants to work with.”

“Then why are you the one interviewing prospective replacements.”

Jude had to stop himself from laughing. “He trusts my judgment. I’m usually a pretty good judge of character. Present company excluded.”

“Oooh, snap. I see he told you what I said. No hard feelings I hope.”

And Jude was officially done. “No feeling at all actually. And no he didn’t tell me what you said. Just that you weren’t coming.” And really that just showed that Zero was in it for the long haul. “See that’s the difference with Zero. I have no doubt that he’ll hurt me and I’ll hurt him. But he’ll always come at me straight with the knife. It’ll never be buried in my back.”

“You keep telling yourself that Jude.”

“Have a good life, Lucas. I’m certainly going to enjoy mine.” He had Zero’s number dialed and his phone to his ear before Lucas could respond. “Hey, how do you feel about Mexican for dinner? I thought I’d stop at that taco truck you like.” And with that, Jude just turned and walked away.


End file.
